Caroline's Story

I still can't believe it happened to me.

I was just 16. I am 16 now. I always would tell my friends that I would have an abortion if I was to get pregnant. But I wasn't having sex then.

My boyfriend and I had been going together for about 5 months when we first had sex. A little after a year of going together I found out that I was pregnant. Surely not me!? I was a great student, well known, involved in a lot of activities such as choirs, plays, musicals and student government. How?

I still remember the night. My parents were out of town and I was staying at his house. His parents didn't mind. I had been thinking I was pregnant for a while because of vomiting and stomach problems. I was laying on the floor while he was on the computer. I just asked him if we could use condoms from then on and he asked if he thought that I was pregnant. I said yes.

He took me to get a test. We went back to my house since no one was there. I remember so clearly looking down at the test a seeing a the beginning of a second pink line form. I walked out of the bathroom and just looked at my boyfriend. He kept asking me if I was but I couldn't answer. I was trying not to cry.

So he ran in the bathroom and looked for himself. He walked out and held me as we cried together. He kept asking me what we were going to do. The first thing I said was have an abortion. I just had to figure out how.

I ended up calling me older sister in Knoxville. I told her and and she worked with me and we tried to figure out what do. I went up there a lot in about three weeks total. I was able to spend my spring break there. My pregnancy had good timing. Everything was able to happen without my parents knowing. I had to be at least 18 before I could have one in Knoxville. Otherwise I had to have a parental consent. So my sister and had an idea to say she lost her drivers license and me pose as her and get my picture made on a new one.

It worked!! Everything was set to go. She would pay the $375 and I had an ID saying I was 23. I ended up getting one one Friday afternoon in April. (2 and a half months later.) It wasn't as bad as I thought. The drug they gave me to alter my emotions did wonders! I stayed with my sister for 3 days after I had an abortion. My boyfriend had to go to a drumline trip to Ohio while I had the operation. They just sucked it right out of me.

There was pain, physical and mental, afterwards. I begged God for forgiveness and I think he granted me this. But now I have to forgive myself. I still will get this discharge of weird stuff around my period. I am afraid of a problem that might have happened to me. I never went back to Knoxville for my 2 week check up. (I strongly advise that you do.)

But through all the heart ache I have moved on in my life. I am now vice-prez at my school and made the school's show choir. My boyfriend is still with me after a year and a half. I think that whole helped our relationship greatly. He now treats me better and is more loving and understandable. An abortion was the only option I had to carry on a normal high school life. It was just right for me.

Three months later I am still going on strong.

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